Engineering synergy of microbes and minerals for clean technology: integrating environmental remediation and converting waste to valuables

加拿大的能源和自然资源行业对加拿大的经济至关重要，并在竞争激烈的全球市场中运作。他们面临着应对环境风险的挑战，受到全球运动的极大关注，并被要求负责减轻环境干扰。我已经制定了我的研究的长期愿景，为加拿大创新清洁技术，并考虑到这些行业。我的NSERC DG研究，微生物和矿物的清洁技术工程协同作用：整合环境修复和将废物转化为贵重物品，基于以下中心概念：工程原生污染物降解微生物的自然恢复力和矿物学反应废物转化为贵重物品。 我最近确定了可以控制的外部因素，以自然地延长寒冷气候中受石油影响的土壤的生物修复。在冰冻和冰冻的污染土壤中，利用土著耐压碳氢化合物降解微生物群落的季节性复原力是可能的，其影响是可重复的，一致的，在满足国家环境标准方面是有意义的。这一重要发现揭示了对偏远寒冷气候地区进行耐胁迫生物修复研究的新机会，这些地区没有能源供应，并减少了整体修复时间和成本。我的研究还表明，在目标污染物存在下的快速自然矿化是另一种可用于推进修复技术的自然恢复力。钙铝石到水铝石矿物转化在去除过量氯离子方面非常有效，过量氯离子会导致盐度和腐蚀，并且对土壤健康，水质和地下基础设施造成重大影响。我们成功地以经济的方式合成了钙铝石，为新型清洁技术提供了发展机遇。 我的DG研究计划的短期目标是（1）进一步建立管理机制并优化我们的方法，以工程化参与寒冷气候下受石油影响的土壤的耐胁迫生物修复的关键因素，以及（2）进一步发展我们的钾矿废物的矿物脱盐循环，将其与营养回收结合起来，并评估利用回收的富营养矿物对石油和煤炭生产产生的废土进行生物修复的可行性。钾盐矿废弃物最终可能有利于油田废弃物处理。 我的NSERC DG研究将引发环境修复和矿山废物管理概念和实践的变革。它将产生混合补救和废物管理技术，这些技术将成为循环经济的重要利润部分，而不是环境成本。该研究对加拿大的可持续发展和环境保护具有重要意义。

Canadian energy and natural resource industries are essential to Canada's economy and operate in highly competitive global markets. They face the challenge of dealing with environmental risks, receive tremendous attention from global movements, and are being held responsible for mitigating environmental disturbances. I have developed the long-term vision of my research to innovate clean technologies for Canada with these industries in mind. My NSERC DG research, Engineering synergy of microbes and minerals for clean technology: integrating environmental remediation and converting waste to valuables, is based on the following central concept: engineering the natural resilience of native pollutant-degrading microbes and mineralogical reactions for waste-to-valuables conversion. I recently identified external factors that can be controlled to naturally extend the bioremediation of oil-impacted soils in cold climates. Leveraging the seasonal resilience of indigenous stress-tolerant hydrocarbon-degrading microbial communities in freezing and frozen contaminated soils is possible, and its effects are reproducible, consistent, and meaningful in terms of meeting national environmental standards. This crucial finding has revealed new opportunities for research into stress-tolerant bioremediation for remote cold-climate sites that have no energy supply and decreased overall remediation times and costs. My research also shows that rapid natural mineralization in the presence of target contaminants is another natural resilience that can be utilized to advance remediation technology. The mayenite-to-hydrocalumite mineral transformation is highly effective at removing excess chloride ions, which cause salinity and corrosion and are a significant concern for soil health, water quality, and subsurface infrastructure. We successfully synthesized mayenite in an economical way, revealing a development opportunity for novel clean technology. The short-term objectives of my DG research program are to (1) further establish the governing mechanisms and optimize our methods of engineering the key factors involved in stress-tolerant bioremediation for petroleum-impacted soils in cold climates and (2) further develop our mineral-based desalination cycles for potash mine waste, integrate them with nutrient recovery, and assess the feasibility of using recovered nutrient-enriched minerals for the bioremediation of waste soils from oil and coal production. Potash mine waste products may ultimately be beneficial to oilfield waste treatment. My NSERC DG research will trigger transformative changes in concepts and practices within environmental remediation and mine waste management. It will produce hybrid remediation and waste management technologies that will become a significantly profitable part of a circular economy, rather than an environmental cost. This research is highly beneficial to sustainable development and environmental protection in Canada.